Radio CG 12: What Do We Still Have In Common?

It’s been another wild week in American politics. In lieu of a debate we had two some…interesting…town halls, and intensifying nastiness by representatives of both parties. We’ve also seen record voter turnout so far, and if this keeps up; at press time (Tuesday) over 34 million people have voted. This is a wonderful thing, and we hope it’s a record-breaking election in terms of who voted. But we’re also concerned about what’s to follow, and what’s going on right now.

“It’s Rigged!”

Historically, once a presidential candidate concedes to the victor, those who voted for them may feel disappointed, but will quickly get back to their regular lives. We’ve seen that less and less over the last decade or so.

Today, both sides seem to feel that if they lose, it must be rigged.

It’s one thing when the politicians won’t accept a defeat. They might get the courts involved, and then extend the waiting game if they get to make their case. But what happens when the citizens backing this candidate refuse to accept defeat?

No matter who wins, it’s going to be questioned. Are we looking at riots? Shootings?

The News Isn’t Helping

The country’s 24-hour news cycle only adds fuel to the fire. Particularly in these last few weeks before the election, we can pretty much guarantee that if you turn on CNN, FOX, or any other channel you’re going to see this breaking story or that breaking story in favor of or against a candidate. Reporters and anchors often interject their own opinions.

The prevailing mood across the country, amongst Democrats and Republicans, is that “If you’re not with us, you’re wrong.”

The news seizes upon this and amplifies it, blasting it at us around the clock. The vast majority of us probably have more in common than we think, but we’re ignoring these things due to the overwhelming shouting coming from our televisions.

It’s very, very hard to form an opinion on your own if you’re being barraged by someone else’s. And it’s very hard to befriend someone when you’re convinced their beliefs are at odds with yours.

We’re All Worried

So what happens on November 3? Odds are the election won’t be decided that night, as states will be counting mail-in ballots for some time after.

No one seems to want civil unrest, but both Pat and Dean are resigned to the idea that it will happen. Some folks seem intent on stocking up on food and just staying indoors as much as they can during the first week or so after the results are announced.

If fear is our common ground, well…that makes us pretty sad.

So we found some more common ground: We still think, and hope, America is above this.

Stay safe, everyone, and remember to vote!